Studies That Show That Independant Reading Improves Test Scores
IELTS Reading Skills
What They Are & How To Use Them
There are 3 key IELTS Reading skills that you lot need to main in order to do well in the Reading test. These are:
- Skimming
- Scanning
- Detailed reading
They are all equally important.
If you've read some of my other lessons in this department of the website, you will have heard me mention 'skimming', 'scanning' and 'detailed reading' many times. This page is where you'll acquire what they are and how to do them.
There are also two other things you lot need to sympathize for a high score:
- How to use context
- The importance of 'topic sentences'
And then let'south get started.
Vital IELTS Reading Skills
Many students get anxious when they hear the terms 'skimming' and 'scanning' as they imagine they need to learn a difficult new skill. Well, this couldn't be farther from the truth.
Recollect for a moment about how you read a slice of text in your own language. Do y'all slowly read each private word and think about what it means?
No, of course you don't.
You read through it rapidly, getting meaning from keywords and chunks of language that make upward phrases.
If y'all're trying to find specific information in the text, you'll look for the words or numbers closely related to that topic.
In other words, yous skim and scan the text just as you need to exercise in your exam.
So, while these are indeed of import IELTS Reading skills, they are also skills y'all use every mean solar day. You are just applying them to a dissimilar language.
Information technology's piece of cake to become these 2 skills muddled up so read these definitions. I also explicate why each is and so important for your test.
Skimming
Skimming means to read the text quickly in guild to sympathise the general pregnant . When skimming, you do not read each word or report the text in item. You are just getting the gist of what it'due south about.
Why is this important for IELTS?
Skimming is 1 of the cardinal IELTS Reading skills because once you understand what the text is virtually, it will exist easier to discover the specific data you demand to answer the questions.
Understanding the general pregnant of a text will help you to scan for the correct information and find the right answer.
How to skim read
1) Read the championship and whatever headings and sub-headings. These give big clues every bit to what the whole text is about.
2) Read the first judgement (the topic judgement) of paragraph one. This volition give yous a proficient idea of what the paragraph is virtually.
3) Quickly glance downwards through the residuum of the paragraph noticing primal information such every bit names, dates and keywords.
4) Echo this with each paragraph.
5) Read the final paragraph a footling more than slowly as it probably contains a summary of the whole text.
This technique can be practical to any text but only with exercise will y'all acquire to apply it finer.
Skimming exercise
The most important thing to remember with skimming is that you're gaining a general overview, not looking for specific information.
The post-obit passage is an illustration of the skimming process.
It'southward a real commodity from the BBC News website, although I've shortened it for the purposes of this exercise.
To start, try reading just the title, sub-headings, first sentences to each paragraph and the last paragraph. Even without skimming the balance of the text, you will have a very good thought of what the article is about.
Now follow the v steps of my 'How to skim read' strategy. When you lot've washed this, y'all should take a sound agreement of the text and be gear up to move on to the scanning process.
Topic Sentences
Earlier we look at scanning, I'll say a quick word about topic sentences equally I've mentioned them several times. I desire y'all to fully empathize what they are and why they're of import.
A 'topic judgement' is the first line of a paragraph and introduces the discipline matter of that paragraph. It tells you what the balance of the paragraph is going to exist about. This makes information technology a powerful tool to help your understanding of the whole text without reading information technology in item.
Scanning
Scanning means reading a text quickly in order to find specific data . For the IELTS Reading exam, this will be the information you need to reply a question. Scanning probably won't give y'all the actual reply but information technology volition help you locate where the answer is.
You could be searching for a proper name, a engagement, a phrase or synonyms of words in the question.
As with skimming, this technique allows you to find the information chop-chop without having to read the text slowly word past word. This will save you a huge amount of time. Time is your greatest enemy in the reading exam.
Scanning is another everyday skill. You lot utilize it, for example, when deciding what to watch on Television. Yous scan the plan titles and the times they're on and then you skim through the descriptive blurb to aid you lot decide what you want to sentry. You lot certainly don't read the whole plan menu word for word.
How to scan a text
i) Option out the keywords or phrase in the specific question yous are answering. It could also be a name, number or date.
2) Be aware that the text may contain synonyms of these rather than the words or numbers used in the question.
iii) Scan the text. When you spot what you're looking for, underline information technology to come back to and read in more detail.
You'll need to scan the whole text for the word or phrase you're looking for as it may occur more in one case. You'll then accept to check which location contains the answer.
Let's have a go at this with our article about mushrooms.
See how apace you can respond these questions by scanning the text. You'll find the answers and some tips for locating them beneath the questions but it's merely by trying to answer them for yourself before checking my answers that you'll actually acquire the technique.
I've created PDF of the text that you can download and print to salve you scrolling upwards and downwards:
Download Text PDF
Questions
1) At which university was the report carried out?
2) What substance in mushrooms is believed to defend the brain confronting issues with recollection?
three) What does the report recommend that people should practice to reduce the gamble of dementia?
4) What position does Lei Feng hold at the academy?
Answers & Tips
one) At which academy was the study carried out?
Tip: Scan for the word 'academy'.
Answer: The National Academy of Singapore. (Paragraph 2)
2) What substance in mushrooms is believed to defend the encephalon confronting issues with recollection?
Tip:Scan for keywords such as 'defend' 'brain', 'issues' and 'recollection'. Think of possible synonyms for these words in instance they have been used instead.
In fact, synonyms take been used for three of the words:
- defend – protect
- issues – problems
- recollection – retentiveness
Reply: An antioxidant. (Paragraph 1)
iii) What does the study recommend that people should exercise to reduce the risk of dementia?
Tip:Scan for keywords such equally 'recommend', 'reduce' and 'dementia'. Again, think of possible synonyms. Here are two that have been used:
- recommend – best advice
- reduce – cut down
Reply:Swallow a diet full of fruit and vegetables and also cut down on sugar and common salt, exist physically active, drink in moderation and avoid smoking. (Paragraph five)
4) What position does Lei Feng hold at the university?
Tip:Scan for the name 'Lei Feng'. This role is easy but to find the reply you'll then demand to translate the information.
Get-go, you need to understand what 'position' ways in the context of the text. It ways the job title or rank of this person.
Reply: Banana professor (Paragraph 3)
The texts in the Reading test are longer than this ane and the questions a lot harder. These are simply to illustrate the technique of scanning and show yous how simple it is to employ.
Detailed reading
The last of our IELTS Reading skills is detailed reading and this is what gives you the answers to the questions. Skimming will accept given yous the gist of the text, scanning has shown you lot where the answer is, and at present information technology's time to dig deeper into the text to become the item that provides the reply.
This is when y'all read the section of the text, peradventure the whole paragraph, word for give-and-take to empathizeexactly what it says.
Really think most the meaning. There volition probably be synonyms to identify and you may take to translate what is written from the context as we did with question iv of the scanning exercise.
You won't need to read the whole text in this much item, only the parts you identify every bit containing the answers as y'all browse for them.
Context
I have i final IELTS Reading skill for yous. It could be argued to exist the most important of all. It's guessing the meaning of a give-and-take from context.
We'll find out:
- What this means
- Why it'due south vitally of import
- How to ameliorate this skill
What does 'context' mean?
A definition of context – using the text that comes immediately earlier and after a item discussion or phrase to help explain its significant.
Context gives valuable clues to aid understanding.
Fifty-fifty native English speakers regularly encounter words they don't know the pregnant of and using context is exactly what they do to piece of work out the meaning.
Why is this skill so important?
- There volition be words in the reading texts that you don't understand.
- Y'all volition be able to make an accurate approximate at their meaning.
- Y'all won't panic when yous run into unfamiliar words during the exam.
How to better this skill
When you see new words during your daily English language reading practice, judge them in context before looking them up in a dictionary. Don't forget to tape the new give-and-take in your vocabulary notebook.
To discover the most effective way to record and acquire vocabulary, visit this page:
How To Learn Vocabulary For IELTS
Want to lookout & mind to this lesson?
Click the video.
IELTS Reading Skills Exercise
Mastering these IELTS Reading skills is undoubtedly the primal to achieving a high score in your Reading test.
At present that you lot understand them, you need to practice using them as much equally possible.
As well as applying them to your daily reading, yous'll also go lots of practice using these skills in my lessons on the individual questions types.
If y'all work through these, you lot'll exist an skilful by the time you actually take your test. You can notice all the lessons here.
Similar this page?
More than Help To Ameliorate Your IELTS Reading Skills
IELTS Reading Test – Sympathise the format, question types & marking system & know what skills are assessed. Also learn success strategies, key reading skills & discover top tips.
Peak vii IELTS Reading Tips – Each tip will have yous a footstep closer to the loftier score you want. They are the key to top marks in your test.
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How to Complete the Exam in hr– Top half dozen recommendations for training & fourth dimension management.
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